Hurricane season

Tropical Storm Bertha is expected to weaken in the Gulf of Mexico as it chugs closer to the U.S. But forecasters say it still could bring coastal flooding and heavy rain from the Florida Panhandle to Louisiana.

WWNO/WRKF Coastal Desk reporter Michael McEwen spoke with Jay Grymes, Louisiana’s state climatologist, about the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season.

Louisiana’s top weather official said the 2026 hurricane season is expected to produce an average number of storms, perhaps slightly less.

And is there anything that the city and the electric utility could be doing to decrease that likelihood – or, at least, mitigate its impact on local residents?

KSLT Meteorologist Jennifer Narramore joined Louisiana Considered this week to give an update on the season.

Weather experts are warning that hurricane forecasts will be severely hampered by the upcoming cutoff of key data from U.S. Department of Defense satellites.

Gov. Jeff Landry doubled down Tuesday on his belief that Louisiana is prepared should a natural disaster strike.

The forecast cone no longer includes Louisiana. Local impacts will be primarily coastal flooding, winds and heavy rainfall from the system’s outer bands, the National Weather Service said.

Rafael strengthened Wednesday into a powerful Category 3 hurricane ahead of its expected landfall in western Cuba, where it was forecast to bring “life-threatening” storm surges, winds and flash floods.

High winds from Hurricane Milton tore off the fiberglass roof of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, home of the Tampa Bay Rays.